What a Year Can Change
by asongtoohardtofollow
Summary: "I honestly don't know where we'd be right now if you hadn't said it. And I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't stopped you on the stairs that day. Meeting you changed my life, Blaine. You saved me when I fell in love with you." Happy Klaine Anniversary!


**Happy Klaine Anniversary everyone! It's been a wonderful year, right? So in honor of this joyous day, here we go! A little reminiscing and headcannon for today. Rated for brief mentions of sex. Rate and review please! And most importantly, enjoy!**

Kurt gently pressed the rhinestone into the small dot of glue. Perfect. One more and he should be done. He glanced at the clock. It was almost 4:15. He sighed. It was later than he thought. As carefully as he could, he picked up the bottle of glue to place a last drop on the lid of the box.

"What's that?"

Kurt looked up to see Blaine in the doorway, that hopelessly adorable grin on his face as usual.

"I'm decorating Pavarotti's casket," Kurt replied.

"Well, finish up," said Blaine. He entered the room and placed his hands on the chair beside Kurt. "I have the perfect song for our number and we should practice."

"Do tell," smiled Kurt.

"'Candles' by Hey Monday." He looked nervous for some reason.

"I'm impressed," Kurt assured him lightly, "You're usually so Top 40."

"Well, I just wanted something a little more…emotional." Blaine still looked nervous as he pulled out the chair and sat down. Kurt hesitated a moment but then spoke again.

"Why did you pick me to sing that song with?" he asked quietly.

Blaine looked down and took a deep breath, and then met Kurt's eyes again.

"Kurt, there is a moment," he began slowly, "When you say to yourself, oh! There you are. I've been looking for you forever." He moved closer ever so slightly and placed his hand over Kurt's on the table. Kurt felt his heartbeat quicken. His stomach was suddenly in knots, but he kept his eyes trained on Blaine's. Blaine took another deep breath and continued. "Watching you do 'Blackbird' this week…that was a moment for me. About you. You move me, Kurt," he stuttered, "And this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you."

And suddenly he was leaning in. Kurt barely had time to register his words or smile at him before Blaine's lips were on his.

_Finally._

Blaine's hand was gently touching the side of Kurt's neck, and their lips were moving softly against each other. Kurt inhaled sharply at the first contact but quickly felt his body relax. He melted into Blaine's touch. He didn't know kissing could really like this.

God, Blaine was _kissing_ him. He was really kissing him. And it was like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

He felt Blaine start to pull away but quickly pulled him back and reached his hand up to Blaine's cheek. Kurt never wanted this to end. He kissed Blaine back, trying to keep him close.

Eventually, they separated.

Kurt's hand fell from Blaine's face onto the table. His breath caught in his throat but he couldn't help but smile. He looked up at Blaine and saw that he was blushing, but also smiling.

"We should – we should practice," muttered Blaine, grinning down at the table, face in his hand. Kurt laughed nervously.

"I thought we were."

Blaine looked up again and Kurt's smile only grew wider. They both leaned forward this time, meeting in the middle in a second kiss.

This one was deeper, shared between them, rather than sudden and full of nerves. Their lips moved together, gently, testing the waters, but still hungry for each other. Their hands touched each other's faces lightly, fingertips brushing against cheeks and through hair.

After several long moments, Blaine pulled away again. He was breathing heavily. His face was flushed. But he was still smiling. Kurt thought he'd never looked more adorable.

"What is it?" Kurt asked. Blaine reached out and took his hand.

"I didn't exactly plan to kiss you today," he admitted softly, "But I've wanted to. _Really_ wanted to. I was just – afraid that maybe you wouldn't want it anymore. That maybe your feelings had changed since Valentine's Day and you just wanted to stay friends." Kurt shook his head.

"Nothing changed for me, Blaine." He squeezed Blaine's hand reassuringly and Blaine smiled wider.

"So what does this mean, then?"

"I think it means whatever we want it to."

"Well," Blaine was getting nervous again, looking down at the table and rubbing his hand against his neck. "I know that I want to be able to say you're my boyfriend. If you want that too, I mean," he added in a rush.

"I do," Kurt said quickly, "I want that." And Kurt leaned forward. This kiss sent sparks into Kurt's fingers, still laced with Blaine's. But it was short-lived. He pulled back after just a moment.

"So, we're boyfriends?"

"Yeah. You're my boyfriend."

"I'm your boyfriend."

"And I'm your boyfriend."

"You're my boyfriend."

"I like this."

"Me too."

"Do you…do you want to get dinner tonight?"

"I'd like that too."

_Meet me in the choir room in ten minutes?_

Blaine typed out his reply quickly and checked his watch. It was a few minutes before 4:00. He had just enough time to run to his locker before meeting Kurt. He walked quickly, and tossed his books into his bag without really looking. He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything all day. He knew that Kurt knew very well what today was, but neither of them had mentioned it to each other at all. It went unsaid between them that today was going to be special. They didn't need to discuss it beforehand. It meant more if they didn't plan it.

Kurt was sitting at the piano when Blaine entered the choir room. He had his back to the door, fingers trailing lightly over the keys, not really playing anything, just hitting a few random notes. Blaine watched him for a few seconds and then cleared his throat. Kurt turned quickly, but relaxed and smiled when he saw him.

"Come here," said Kurt, scooting over and patting the bench beside him. Blaine walked over and settled down on the bench, laying his bag on the floor. Kurt immediately took his hand and laced their fingers together.

"Hi," he said softly. Blaine smiled.

"Hi."

"You're early."

"I haven't seen you since lunch. I couldn't wait."

"It's not my fault you missed glee today."

"You know I had to make up that math test. I'm still about a week behind since the surgery."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kurt paused and took a deep breath. "I've been thinking for weeks about what I wanted to say to you today. I wanted it to be something special, something that's just ours, and that we'll remember forever."

"You don't have to say anything to make today special, Kurt."

"I wanted to. But eventually I realized that nothing could really beat your 'there is a moment' speech." Blaine laughed.

"It wasn't _that_ good."

"But it worked. And I honestly don't know where we'd be right now if you hadn't said it. And I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't stopped you on the stairs that day. Meeting you changed my life, Blaine. You saved me when I fell in love with you." Kurt looked around the room for a moment, and Blaine could see tears welling in his eyes. He could feel them in his own as well.

"Kurt…"

"I know this isn't the Dalton senior commons, and we don't have a dead bird to mourn, and we've already won Regionals, but I wanted to meet here, right now, a year to the minute since you first kissed me."

"Kurt…"

"Just give me a minute. Everything is different and I still feel like nothing's changed since that day. I already knew that I loved you then, even if I couldn't say it or didn't know how much yet. But since then I learned that you love me too. And I see it every day in the way you look at me, or your good morning texts, or how you'll take a slushie for me without even knowing it would hurt you. You left Dalton to be with me. We've shared everything together. And we have really great sex, if I do say so myself," he added. Blaine laughed. "But I wish I could show you more often how much I love you. That you mean absolutely everything to me. So I got these."

Kurt reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up envelope. He opened it and two silver rings on thin silver chains spilled out into his hand. The rings were simple, plain bands with a tiny heart engraved on the inside of each one.

"Kurt, they're…beautiful." Blaine ran his finger along the chain of one, feeling the cool silver on his skin.

"I'm leaving in a few months," said Kurt softly, "NYADA or not, I'm going to New York. And while some people might think that's a good reason to run off and get married, you know I disagree. And I know you do too. But I want us to wear these. We don't even have to show anyone. They're just for us." He took one chain and slipped it around Blaine's neck. Blaine took the other and did the same to Kurt. "A promise. That we'll always be connected somehow, even when there's a thousand miles between us."

"Six hundred and thirty-two," corrected Blaine quietly, twirling his ring between his fingers. Kurt smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Or six hundred and thirty-two. No matter how far apart we are, I will always love you." Blaine looked up from the ring in his hand and met Kurt's gaze.

"I don't know how it took so long for me to realize how incredible you are," he said softly, "I should have known from the moment we met. But since the moment I did know, I haven't stopped loving you for a second. I never will." With his free hand, Kurt reached over and wiped a stray tear off Blaine's cheek. "And now I have to declare you the winner of the speech contest. You made me cry. This was officially better than my 'there is a moment' speech." Kurt laughed.

"This should be an anniversary tradition. Next year you get to go again."

"Deal." Kurt smiled and pulled Blaine into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around Blaine's shoulders and Blaine coiled his around Kurt's waist. For a few long minutes, they just sat there holding each other until Kurt looked up at the clock.

"It's 4:15," he said quietly, pulling away, "One year to the minute."

"And we've pretty much come full circle," said Blaine.

"Almost," corrected Kurt, smiling. Blaine returned the smile and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Kurt's lips. He pulled back quickly.

"You know," he began, "We have almost two hours before my parents get home. We could -" Kurt silenced him with another quick kiss.

"Let's go," he grinned into Blaine's lips. He tugged on his hand and they both stood up. Blaine grabbed his bag off the floor and slung it over his shoulder before pulling Kurt back for another longer, deeper kiss.

"Have I told you I love you yet today?" he asked when they broke apart.

"It's been a few minutes," Kurt teased.

"Then I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." Blaine leaned in and pecked Kurt on the lips lightly between each one. Kurt giggled and pulled on his hand again.

"Let's go, pretty boy, we've got an anniversary to celebrate."

"And to think," mused Blaine, "A year ago we went out to Breadstix to celebrate our getting together, and tonight we're celebrating in the bedroom."

"To be fair," said Kurt, "We did spend a little time making out in your room that night."

"True. But not nearly as much as we're going to tonight."

"Oh, honey, we're doing much more than just making out tonight."

"I like this game."

"Me too."

"And I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
